Angela

Where did you go, Angela?

Where did you go, Angela?

I have my neurosis, you had your neurosis

Together we lay between walls in symbiosis

My place is a place I hang my hat

Your place was a place you shared with your cat

Where did you go, Angela?

Where did you go, Angela?

When I'd water my succulents I couldn't help but notice you shamelessly taking selfies

I miss seeing your flip-flops laying on the dusty mat in our shared area where I'd step out at night for cigarettes

You lived alonе in your fishbowl existence

I travеled the globe, the globetrotting itinerant

And when I'd come home there'd be many packages for you

And when they were heavy I'd carry your bottled water, cat litter, and your cat food too

You ordered your life like a magic wand from Chewy.com, eBay, and Walmart

Bed Bath & Beyond, Zappos and Instacart, Etsy and Amazon.com

One day I came home from Buffalo and to my surprise:

Only one package for Angela in the lobby of my building

I thought, "This is strange, out of character for her", the stairs leading up to my door are high and steep

I dragged my luggage up my staircase, by the time I got inside I forgot all about the one single package that was down there for Angela

I opened my window to air out my place and I watered my succulents, and I glanced in your window, your place was empty You were gone, I'm saddened and perplexed by your sudden exit

Where did you go, Jennifer?

Where did you go, Jennifer?

You did my dry cleaning for 32 years

And saying goodbye to you had me in tears

Your rent got too high

The city half-died

I asked you, "What's left?"

You said you're retiring

I said, "Do you mean there's no government money for you?", and you said no

I said, "It must be the same for other small businesses because I also noticed the Pancho's on Polk Street is closed."

I went to my local grocery store guy and said "Man, Jenny's down the street and Pancho's are closed."

He said "Mark, I know, I saw that, the San Francisco we once knew will never be the same San Francisco."

Where did you go, my beautiful city?

Where did you go, my magical city?

You're boarded up with plywood now, covered in graffiti

You were such a charmer, you were once so pretty

I've gotten tired of waiting in lines and being told on which X I can stand

I'm tired of being shamed when I reach in my wallet and accidentally hand the cashier cash

And being yelled at by clerks when I walk in their store without using hand sanitizer first and not wearing a mask

I tell them I'm doing the best to follow their guidelines and to do what they ask

But before leaving I tell them, "Next time, please relax

My reflexes are still programmed to grocery shopping protocol of the very recent past

You're a clerk, not a cop, so quit being so bossy, it's not very nice

I understand there's a lot of fear going around but please don't forget to be polite."

Where did you go, my boxing gym?

Where did you go, the music venue Slim's?

Where did you go, my August Hall show?

Where did you go, my San Francisco?